Student Spotlight - Tessa Devereaux

Conditioning. Athletics. Schoolwork.

All of these things illustrate the life of Jamesville-DeWitt High School sophomore Tessa Devereaux. When not studying in school or playing in weekend tournaments, it is not an uncommon sight to see Devereaux walking into the "Y" with a soccer ball tucked under one arm and a backpack slung over the other.

With her stellar charisma on the soccer field and impressive work ethic in the classroom, you'd be hard pressed to find a more able student-athlete in the halls of J-DHS. After all, not many athletes enroll in an Olympic Development Program (ODP) for their age group, and even fewer can take their sport up to the national level.

But Devereaux has.

Capping a six-month process that began last summer, Devereaux was selected by the ODP this year to travel with the U.S. Region I team, which was compiled from states from Maine to Virginia, to play in Portugal and Spain.

Her selection started with an invitation to the Northeast Elite Identification Camp that she attended last summer. Out of a pool of 300 girls that attended the camp in the '94 division, Devereaux was among the fifteen that were chosen for the Region I team, which in turn competed at the Thanksgiving Interregional Tournament on Nov. 22-27 in Coral Springs, Florida.

From here the ODP staff assessed the skills of individual players and eventually selected them for the national team. Even though the players of Region I played the three other region teams in the nation and ended with a 1-2 record, the games also provided a showcase for all the college scouts on the sidelines that were looking to recruit players.

"It was a little bit intimidating," says Devereaux of the Thanksgiving Interregional Tournament. "I would take a look off the field and see the sidelines filled with college coaches, all scribbling on their clipboards."

Devereaux certainly did not go unnoticed, and was later selected to travel with the Region Team to compete in Portugal, along with seven other girls from the '94 division and eight girls from the '93 division.

From Feb. 27 to March 8, the U.S. Region Team traveled together to Portugal and Spain and was exposed to both training and "friendly" games with other prestigious teams. Despite initial worries about meeting national competition, Devereaux quickly began showing her exemplary skills on the field. In their first game following a couple of days of training, Devereaux scored the game-winning header in their 1-0 victory over the Ireland Under-19 team.

"Actually, I wasn't sure that I would even start at first," says Devereaux. "Before we went I was almost dreading the trip because I was nervous that I wouldn't get to play."

With such a resounding start, Devereaux ended up starting the remaining games as an attacking midfielder, picking up another goal and an assist in their 6-1 game against La Ramba, a Spanish club team. The U.S. Region Team also won their final game against Sivilla 3-0.

The trip to Portugal and Spain encompassed more than just intensive game play, however. Devereaux says one of her favorite parts of the trip was getting to meet players from the U.S. Women's National Team, such as Heather O'Reilly and Abbey Wambach.

"I almost got Abbey Wambach's game cleats, too. I ended up being mad at my teammates for getting them instead of me," Devereaux says jokingly. "But overall, it was still one of the best experiences of my life."

J-DHS Girls Varsity Soccer Coach Haley Nies believes the same. "Anytime a player can compete against and with athletes that are faster, stronger, more technically sound, and competitive, such as the National Team, the player will benefit."

Having played soccer since age 4, Devereaux has played on the J-DHS Girls Varsity Soccer team for three years since being pulled up from Junior Varsity in eighth grade. She has earned All-League Honors each year.

"Molding the Portugal experience with her past individual and team experiences will only allow her to grow as a soccer player and competitor," says Coach Nies.

In addition to playing club soccer at Empire United and practicing at their two-hour sessions three days of the week, Devereaux works hard on her own time. She especially enjoys going out to run, which she does year-round, covering as much as five to fifteen miles per day, depending on the season. "It depends on what's coming up," she says. "I do it both to stay in shape for games, and for the pleasure of it."

Devereaux also works out regularly to maintain her form and meets with a trainer twice a week. This dedication clearly shows through to both her teammates and coaches.

"Tessa's work ethic is tremendous," says Coach Nies. "She pushes others on the team with her non-stop, full-speed-ahead attitude."

"Tessa always makes you work really hard," agrees teammate Emily Nuss, a junior at J-DHS. "If we're paired up for a drill she won't ever slack off."

Her work ethic also transfers to her academics. Devereaux is currently taking challenging classes such as AP Biology, AP World History, and Honors classes for English, Algebra 2, and Spanish. When she isn't running or playing sports, Devereaux takes the time to study and prepare for her classes.

"And that's the great thing," says Keith Comfort, science teacher at J-DHS. "Tessa puts forth as much effort in academics as she does on the soccer field. It's one of the things that impresses me the most about her," says Comfort.

Teachers take note when a student athlete really strives to do well in class. "Even though she missed a week of school," says Comfort, "Tessa was extremely responsible in approaching teachers beforehand, and then working hard to make up [the work] afterwards. It's great that she had such a life experience in Portugal."

"Academics are just as important to me as athletics," says Devereaux. "I eventually want to go to a college that is well rounded in both."

Devereaux plans to continue to take AP level courses at J-DHS, where she can challenge herself to excel. When not running, training, or doing homework, she also spends time during her week volunteering at the CNY SPCA, an organization that promotes care for stray animals and pets. Devereaux is currently a member of the Spanish Club at J-DHS.

Whether it's in academics or athletics, Devereaux always puts in her absolute best.

Sophomore Stephanie Mannion, both a classmate and a teammate to Devereaux,
says, "I can probably speak for everyone when I say that she's a great team player and always puts in 100% effort. She supports everyone on and off the field."

Devereaux is seen not only as a serious athlete but also as an amicable peer. "Although she took practices very seriously, she would always say or do something funny to make us all laugh," says Mannion. "Everyone loves her for that."

It's certainly not everyday that J-DHS sees a student athlete as determined as Devereaux. Known as both a supportive peer and a hardworking individual, Devereaux never ceases to impress with the things that she accomplishes. Between daily life, academics, and athletics, you can't help but feel inspired at her ability to score a hat trick in all three.